10 Ways To Teach Your Children About The Environment

We all need to play our part to take care of the environment, and the sooner you start, the better. Teaching kids about the environment and how their actions can impact it is important, and they’ll grow up with better habits to help do more to take care of the planet.

While kids will learn a lot about the environment at school, the thing you teach them at home could be even more valuable. Your kids look up to you and emulate the way you behave, so if you can adopt greener habits yourself, these behaviors will be sure to rub off on your children too.

Take a look at these 10 ways to teach your children about the environment.

1. Teach them about nature

There are a lot of fun things you can teach your kids about nature. From teaching them about different animals and birds to the names of different trees and plants, discovering nature can bring a world of wonder to your kids. You can turn it into a game by asking them to find different things, so they can learn the names and what they look like.

Books can be useful to help them learn about different creatures, especially ones with pictures and drawings. Make your trips exciting to help them catch onto that feeling.

2. Get them outdoors

Kids today spend so much time indoors staring at screens, so it’s good to be able to get them outdoors. Engaging your kids in outdoor activities at an early age can help them find a love for being outdoors, while keeping them active too. Even if it’s just time spent in the garden, it can make a big difference to your child’s wellbeing and sense of adventure.

3. Show them the benefits of walking and cycling

Active travel, such as walking and cycling, can help you protect the environment by finding an alternative to using your car all the time. Make walking and cycling a regular part of your routine, from the school run to trips to the park or beach - you can have a lot of fun being active as a family. Your health will benefit too.

4. Make crafts from things you find around the home

There are habits you can teach your kids at an early age to help them learn about reusing and recycling. Making crafts out of the things you can find around the house or in the garden can teach your kids a lot. It can also help you save money on craft materials! Check out some cool recycling art projects to help you get started.

5. Get them involved in a beach clean-up

Teaching your children not to leave their trash around is an essential lesson for them to learn. A beach clean-up can help them see what trash does to the environment while helping them learn a little responsibility too.

 

6. Explain some of your greener habits to them

There are a lot of things you can do to enjoy a greener home, and by explaining your habits to your kids, you can help them pick up the same habits too. From telling them why you turn the lights off or why you dry your laundry outside, you can teach your kids the value of what you’re doing and how it helps the environment.

You can also teach them the value of taking care of the things they own such as clothes and toys. By teaching them how to take care of things, repair and reuse them, they’ll be more careful and avoid falling into the trap of wanting everything new all the time.

7. Let them help out around the house

Another way to teach your kids greener habits around the home is to let them help out. You can teach them all kinds of things about food waste and how to recycle, helping them to get started from an early age. Give them some responsibility around the house that will help them learn some good habits they can carry with them as they get older.

8. Take them to a local farm

Teaching your kids about food and where it comes from is important. By visiting a local farm, you can show your kids where food is grown and what it’s like to see fresh food straight from the source. This can be a useful lesson to learn in buying local, and might even help you think differently about your habits too.

9. Teach them about the environment through movies

Did you know there are a lot of movies that have an environmental theme running through them? Some of the best movies that teach kids about climate change include:

• FernGully
• The Lorax
• Wall-E
• Happy Feet
• Over The Hedge
• Ice Age
• Bee Movie

These movies are fun to watch while still delivering some important messages, so why not choose one for your next family movie night?

10. Talk to them about climate change

Another way to teach your kids about climate change is to simply be honest. Angelo Dellomo has talked about the importance of teaching children about pollution, and there are some gentle ways you can do it without leaving them fearful about the future. Do your research so that you can give them the basics and give them opportunities to ask questions. It may not be the easiest conversation to have, but it can teach them at a young age how to be more responsible.

There are a lot of benefits to teaching your kids about the environment. It can help them learn more about the world we live in, and what they can do to help protect it. By teaching them young, they’ll have excellent knowledge of how to be greener and more sustainable, with some great habits too. Put the time in to teach your children about the environment and help make the world a better place for them.